


Happiness

by Maicee



Series: Consciousness [4]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: HERE IT IS FRIENDS, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 03:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4903582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maicee/pseuds/Maicee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whenever despair leaves, it may take a while, but happiness is inevitable. It's always a relief to live a normal life as you always wished, and for those on Jabberwock Island, that sentiment isn't any different.</p><p>A drabble series connected to Consciousness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peko paced back and forth, fiddling with the sheath of her sword. Her eyes kept on following the clock. It was just past five in the evening. Fuyuhiko would be back soon.

Usually the two worked from home, but Fuyuhiko had been asked by Hajime for some help with Future Foundation business, so he was away for the week. It was Friday evening, so he would be coming home for the weekend shortly. Peko didn’t know whether she was excited or scared.

The doorknob rattled and she jumped, swinging her sword on her back. She wanted to act as normal as possible. Fuyuhiko knew of her nervous sword habit, so he would instantly know something was wrong. She watched, paralysed as the door opened, revealing her smiling husband.

“Hey, Peko,” he said, taking his jacket off and hanging it up. “Did you have a busy week?”

Peko forced a smile and shook her head. “No, not at all. The clan was very subdued. I think they knew you weren’t around.”

Fuyuhiko sat on the bed and looked her up and down. He tilted his head. “Peko, what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she insisted. Darn it, she should have known. They each knew how the other was feeling via their facial expressions and their habits. There would be something she forgot that he would pick up on. She didn’t want him to worry.

He looked at her for a moment longer before sighing and motioning for her to join him on the bed. “Please tell me. I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it would be nice.”

She pursed her lips. He deserved to know and she knew it. “I… You know I haven’t been feeling too well these past couple of weeks, so I went to see Tsumiki-san.”

“Fuck, you’re alright, aren’t you?” He grabbed her hands in his.

She couldn’t answer that question. She didn’t really know the answer. “I’m pregnant.”

He grinned and his eyes sparkled. “Really? That’s fantastic!” His smile faltered when he saw her pained expression. “Right?”

It was impossible to keep her emotions under wraps when he was looking at her so softly, so curiously, so worriedly. She could feel her throat seize up and she gulped. “I don’t know if I’ll be a good mother. Children deserve parents who can shower them with love and praise and patch up their wounds when they’re hurt and put them first. Even animals run from me, Fuyuhiko. What am I supposed to do when I’m confronted with a child?”

Fuyuhiko took her face in his hands, his fingertips delicate against her cheek. “Peko. You are probably the most loving person I know, and it’s not because I’m biased. Despite everything my family did to you, you loved me, you praised me, you protected me, you cared for me, and you were just always looking out for my well-being. We know now that it’s not because you feel obligated to. Who was the one who taught my sister how to ride a bike, huh? Who cheered me up and helped me feel loved when she died? It was you. All you.”

Peko was crying freely now. Her sobs were silent, but she was shaking as she slowly wrapped her arms around her husband. “Can I really do that?”

“Of course you can.” He kissed the top of her head. “You can do anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S HERE.
> 
> I actually wrote this before I finished Darkness since I had inspiration for it, and now I'm finally posting it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Couple no. 2 discuss having kiddies.

“I still can’t believe Peko is having a child!” Sonia said, her dress fluttering in the breeze.

Gundam watched San-D, the last Dark Deva left, play in the sand. “It’s been six months. Surely, the dagon eye has not deceived you for that long?”

Sonia giggled and sat beside him. She looked absolutely radiant in the setting sun, her hair billowing behind her. She was beautiful. He always thought so, but right now he wished he had Mahiru’s camera so he could capture this exact moment. It would be a photograph he would treasure forever and show off to those around him.

“Gundam, I was thinking…” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Someday, I’m going to need an heir to take over Novoselic. I’m not saying we should try right away, of course. I just thought I would mention it now instead of bringing it up later.”

At the mention of children, he tensed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want children or didn’t like them. It was that he had no faith in his fathering skills. He’d had no example (or at least no _good_ example) of how to be a father. Sure, he had been the caretaker for thousands of animals, but none of them were humans. Humans could talk back to him. They were more evolved.

Sonia’s head lifted from his shoulder. “Gundam? Are you okay?”

“…Would my children even like me?”

“Huh?”

Gundam hated his biological father, and with good reason. Even though he definitely wouldn’t follow in his footsteps, what if he did something else? Others often said he was too passionate. Too eccentric. Any children of his would definitely avoid him.

Sonia moved so she was right in front of him, her eyes gazing into his. “Gundam, is this about your own family life?”

He sighed. “You see right through me as always, my lady of darkness.”

She rested her arms on his legs. “I think you’ll make an excellent father. I mean, look how lovely you are to me. I know you’re the god of darkness, but that only applies to enemies, does it not? And I will be with you to help.”

“That is definitely reassuring…” The more he looked into her eyes, the more he could feel his resolve crumbling. “I think… I think we should prepare ourselves first, but…” He hesitated a little. “I think we can survive the mission of bringing up our own.”

Sonia grinned and hugged his knees. “Thank you, Gundam.”

At the time, he thought agreeing was worth it just to see her smile. It was only when his children were born that he realized there were prizes much, much greater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was almost finished by the time Darkness ended, so that's why it was finished so quickly. This is a pattern that will last for a little bit, with the couples talking about having children.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn Tanaka, having adorable kids.

Mahiru barely registered the door slamming before she heard, “Mahiru, we are _not_ losing to Tanaka.”

She looked up from her book and gave Kazuichi a glare. “What are you going on about _now_?”

“He and Sonia-san are already talking about having their second kid,” Kazuichi said, sitting down on the bed. “We haven’t even had _one_ yet.”

If this had been anyone else, Mahiru probably would have been shocked, but no. This was Kazuichi, and Kazuichi always had to make everything Tanaka-related a competition. She was used to it by now, but she was usually able to stay out of it. Now that the (one-sided) feud was about having children, there was no chance she would be able to ignore it.

“Kazuichi, we are not turning having children into a game, capiche?” she said, keeping her gaze stern. “I’m not going to go through nine months of pain just for that. Find something else to argue with him about.”

Thinking this was the end of the conversation, she returned to her book. There was no movement from the bed and she assumed he was thinking about what trivial matter he could bring up to Gundam next. What he said next, however, caught her attention.

“So… So, you never want kids?”

She closed her book and turned to him. He was looking at her, slouched over with his chin in his hand. She knew he was curious by the way he looked at her, analysing her from head to toe. He was always like that. Whenever he stared at her with that expression she became incredibly self-conscious.

“W-Well, it’s not like I _never_ want them,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her dress. “It’s just that I want to have them for the right reasons, and I mean, having a child is a huge commitment. We need to be prepared. We need to be financially stable and we need to provide a good home environment and we need to make sure they’re in good hands while we’re at work and –”

“We’ve been saving money since the beginning of time, we’re going to have the new houses very soon that will be very child friendly, and I’m sure Peko-san and Kuzuryuu will take care of them when we’re away from the island,” Kazuichi interrupted. “I mean, they already look after Titania-chan, so…”

Mahiru narrowed her eyes and scooted closer to him. “You… seem to have thought quite a lot about this…”

He avoided her gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, well, I kinda have. I mean, Minato-kun and Titania-chan aren’t even that old yet and they’re already adorable. I just… I want one.”

Mahiru pursed her lips. It was true that the thought of having children had run through her mind, but it was usually a brief moment. She knew it was inevitable with the two new additions to their group, and her mother _had_ always told her that being a mother was the most rewarding experience of them all.

“Yeah… You know, I wouldn’t mind, um, trying,” she said.

Kazuichi looked up, surprise on his face. He clearly hadn’t been expecting her to agree. “Wait, really?”

She nodded. “Yeah, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone until I’m actually pregnant, okay? And you can’t just use this to show off to Tanaka.”

Excitement replaced the surprise as he clapped eagerly. “Yes, yes, of course! Our little girl is gonna be the best thing on the face of the earth!”

Mahiru raised an eyebrow. “You want a daughter?”

“Hell yeah!” he said, pumping a fist into the air. “I mean, she’d look just like you then, wouldn’t she?”

Mahiru blinked. She hadn’t expected that answer. “I-I don’t think that’s how genetics works, but I suppose it’s possible.”

He grinned. “Yes! I can’t wait to show her off to everyone. Tanaka’s gonna be so jealous!”

With a shake of her head, Mahiru opened her book once more. Some things never changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then Hana was born. Good times.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids make an appearance!

“You know, looking after these things isn’t so hard.”

Nekomaru looked up at Akane, who was tending to the second Kuzuryuu child’s diaper. Despite only being shown how to change it once, she was working effortlessly.

“Oh, is that so?” he said. “And they’re not things. They’re people. They’re tiny people, but they’re still people.”

His eyes scanned his living room. Minato, who was far too mature for a four year old, was playing the knight in shining armour to Titania, who was the princess. She said it was playing pretend, which made no sense to Nekomaru since she was a real princess, but it didn’t matter. She was only young. He would let them have their fun.

On the couch, the two younger toddlers were fighting. Sorin and Hana were constantly pulling at each other’s hair and arguing over who was the best at building with blocks. He figured it was inevitable. They were a Tanaka and a Souda, after all. Still, he needed to stop it before it got out of hand.

“Hey, you two,” he said, approaching them. “What are you two arguing about?”

Hana was quick to answer. “Sorin-kun says my colouring in is bad!”

“It is!” Sorin said, folding his arms and pouting. “You can’t even stay inside the lines!”

“It’s crea-creative lisc… Lisce… I’m doing it my own way!” Hana said, standing on the couch. The cushions barely sagged. She was too light for her own good. “Mama says that’s the way of the true artist! You don’t have to do what others tell you to!”

Sorin’s cheeks puffed out more. “That’s stupid!

“You’re stupid!”

“I’m not stupid! You’re stupid!”

“I know you are, but what am I?!”

Nekomaru sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to get through to them. They were as stubborn as their fathers. He could only hope that Mahiru’s new addition wasn’t as bad. It was a bad thing to think, but after a while their arguments were starting to get to him.

“All done!” Akane said, holding baby Natsuhi as if she was a trophy. At least she was using both hands. “That was easier than I thought. You were a good girl, Baby Gangsta the Second!”

Natsuhi gave a babbly laugh in response.

“Wouldn’t she be Baby Gangsta the Third?” Nekomaru asked, looking at Minato. “Minato-kun was born before her.”

Akane set Natsuhi down and said, “He takes after Peko way too much. I have a feeling Natsuhi-chan’s gonna take after her father more than her mother.”

Nekomaru sat on the couch that Sorin and Hana had just vacated. They were now near the temporary playpen. “And how do you know that?”

“Mother’s instinct!” Akane said with a grin.

Amused, he was about to answer when he felt a tug on the bottom of his pants. Looking down, he saw Titania, her bright eyes looking back up at him, full of curiosity. She was still wearing her tiara that he was sure she had ‘borrowed’ from her mother.

“Uncle Neko, why don’t you and Aunt Akane have kids?” she asked, climbing onto the couch.

Nekomaru was surprised at the question, though he guessed he shouldn’t be. Titania was usually surrounded by the adults who _did_ have children. She probably assumed all adults had children out there in the world somewhere.

He glanced at Akane before answering. She was looking at him, waiting for his answer just as much as Titania was. “Well, we haven’t really thought about it before. Why do you ask?”

Titania smiled, an action that made her look even more like her mother. “I was just asking because I wanna play with them!”

From the other side of the room, Akane laughed. She picked Natsuhi up and walked over, bouncing the young baby on her lap before setting her down for Titania to fawn over. “Why don’t we have kids, old man?”

“Do you want to?” he asked. “You would have to take a break from work. You can’t do gymnastics while you’re pregnant.”

Akane smiled softly as Titania cooed at Natsuhi, who kept on smiling and laughing. “Yeah, I want one. And it’s just nine months. What harm would that do? I think it’s worth it. What about you?”

Nekomaru looked over to Hana and Sorin, who had just fallen asleep on the floor huddled together, then at Minato, who was approaching them. He started to fawn over his younger sister just like Titania was. It was a heart-warming sight to see.

“Yeah, I think it’s a good idea. Just be prepared, though. They shit a lot.”

Titania gasped. “Uncle Neko said a naughty word!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit, Uncle Neko, you can't say naughty words!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiny Ryouma and his stuffed bunny.

Hajime was at his desk when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

“E-Excuse me, mister, do you know where Naegi-san is?”

Looking down, he saw a young boy with golden hair and bright, curious eyes. He was holding a stuffed rabbit close to his chest and he didn’t dare look up from the floor. Hajime guessed he couldn’t be more than four years old, and even that was stretching it a bit.

Hajime scanned the Future Foundation office, but there was no sign of Naegi. He vaguely remembered his superior telling him he would be out with Kirigiri and Togami for a while, giving no indication of when he would return. This would be a problem to deal with by himself.

Turning back to the boy, he said, “Uh, sorry, he’s not here right now. What’s wrong?”

The boy sniffled. “No one wants to adopt me.”

Hajime stilled. He knew Naegi had been working with orphans for the past few months, but he hadn’t known how in-depth it had been. “I’m sorry. Someone will soon, I promise. What’s your name?”

“Ryouma…”

Mustering the kindest smile he could, Hajime said, “Are you bored, Ryouma-kun?”

Ryouma nodded. “There are no more kids at the place I stay, so I’m all alone now.”

Hajime felt a pang in his heart. Part of him understood how this little boy felt, hardly remembering his parents himself, but he’d had his friends to keep him company. The least he could do was try and help the situation.

“Well, how about you hang around here with me and watch me work?” he offered. “It’s almost my lunch break so we can go and play soon.”

Ryouma’s face lit up and Hajime’s heart melted. “Really?! Can I?!”

And so for the next few hours, Hajime spent time getting to know Ryouma the orphan. He learned his parents had passed away when he was around a year or so old, so he didn’t remember them. He had been living in the Future Foundation’s children centre ever since. Whenever he spoke about his friends he would become excited, gesturing this way and that to get his point across as his vocabulary wasn’t too extensive.

The hours flew by, and by the time Naegi returned to the office, Ryouma was sound asleep in Hajime’s arms. He had fallen asleep half an hour earlier, tired from wandering around and learning how Hajime worked.

“Looks like you’ve made a friend,” Naegi said, leaning on his desk.

Hajime laughed. “Yeah. He came looking for you. He doesn’t have anyone to play with, so I let him stay.”

Naegi’s smile faltered a little. “I feel really sorry for him, you know? All of his friends come and go, but he’s always stuck here. Ah, well… Someone will adopt him someday. I should take him back to the centre.”

Hajime only watched as Naegi took Ryouma out of his arms and carried him into the hallway. He waited until they were out of sight before staring at his phone. His hand hesitated, twitching above it before he finally made his decision.

Dialling the number, he fiddled with his tie and waited.

_Ring, ring._

_Ring, ring._

_“Hello?”_

“Hey, Nagito.”

_“Oh, Hajime’s calling me from work. I hope this is a good thing.”_

“It is… I think.”

_“Hmm?”_

“Um, say… How would you feel about adopting a kid?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then they ended up adopting three.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the previous drabble!

Nagito paced around the newly built house he and Hajime lived in, waiting for the latter to arrive home from work. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was nervous. Fuyuhiko and Peko had told him earlier on not to be worried, that he was great with the other children, but he still wasn’t sure. He didn’t know if he would be able to handle it.

When he heard the keys in the door, he tried to act normal. He quickly sat in the lounge chair closest to him and stared at the door in anticipation. He didn’t know who was going to step through the door first, Hajime or his new son.

As it turned out, it was Hajime. He still had his suit on, but his jacket was draped over his arm, the keys in his other hand. When he saw Nagito he smiled. “Hey.”

Nagito knew he should have responded properly, asked him about his day, but he couldn’t handle the suspense anymore. “So, um, where is…?”

He didn’t need to finish his question. Hajime smiled and looked over his shoulder, saying, “It’s okay, you can come in. You want to meet your other new dad?”

There was no verbal response, not at first, but Nagito could hear the pattering of tiny feet. A small head poked out from behind Hajime’s legs, clear eyes peering his way. “Hi.”

Warmth flooded Nagito’s chest and he quickly stood up and walked over to the small boy. Crouching down to his level, he smiled softly and said, “I’m Nagito. You’re Ryouma, right? Welcome to the family.”

“Family?” Ryouma’s eyes seemed to shine at the word. “I’m… I’m part of a family?”

Nagito nodded. “Yep. It’s not a very big family. It’s been just Hajime and myself for years now, but now we have you. There’s everyone else on the island, of course. And they have kids just a little older than you. Everyone’s been looking forward to meeting you.”

Ryouma grinned and hugged his stuffed bunny. “I can call you ‘daddy’ then, right?”

“Of course.”

With a giggle, Ryouma flung himself into Nagito’s arms. Nagito didn’t try picking him up, not knowing if he had the strength to, but even then the hug was enough. He had never thought that he would have a child in his care, let alone live long enough for that to be an option. It was a nice feeling, having a family.

Now he had so much more to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAD FEELS WRITING THIS I CAN'T.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daddy Gundam. That is all.

Gundam wasn’t surprised when he found his fourteen year old son in the kitchen at two in the morning, glaring at a mug of coffee. Sorin had been a bit lethargic lately, if not angst-ridden. It was normal for a teenager to experience emotions like that, and while Titania seemed to be taking the prospect of growing up well, the same couldn’t be said for her brother.

“And what’s wrong with you?” he asked, going over to the coffee pot. He didn’t bother scolding his son for being up late. It was the weekend, and there was obviously a reason if he was just sitting in silence.

Sorin didn’t seem surprised to see him there. “Nothing. Everything.”

Gundam filled a mug and sat across from him. “Want to talk about it?”

“Well…” Sorin considered it as Talon jumped on his lap, burying his tiny face in his chest. “I don’t know if you would understand.”

“You’d be surprised. The all seeing eye sees everything.”

Sorin rolled his eyes. “Don’t let Claudia hear you say that.” He sighed. “It’s… It’s a girl problem.”

If Gundam said he hadn’t anticipated this, he would be lying. His son may not have been a complete replica of him when he was a teenager, but they definitely shared some personality traits, specifically not being good at expressing their feelings. It was a broad term, and their embarrassment showed in different ways, but it was there.

“Hana-chan, correct?”

Sorin’s eyes widened and he turned away, hiding in the collar of his jacket. “Yeah… How did you know?”

Gundam shrugged. “I know my children.”

“Okay, yeah, it’s Hana-chan, but we’re supposed to hate each other,” Sorin said. “She hates me, anyway.”

“I don’t think she hates you,” Gundam said. He may not have known Hana as much as her parents did, but he knew them. Kazuichi and Mahiru could both be incredibly stubborn, and the fact that Sorin was a Tanaka and Hana was a Souda didn’t really help things. “If she didn’t act the way she does towards you, would you still like her?”

Sorin stared into his coffee. “I don’t know… Probably not. It’s a bad thing to say, but probably not.” He paused, then took a sip. “I’d ask what you did to get mum to like you, but our situations are pretty different.”

Gundam wanted to disagree and say they couldn’t be that far apart, but in many ways Sorin was right. He hadn’t sought out Sonia’s affections at first. The two sort of gravitated towards each other and that was that. Everyone knew they were a thing once they woke up from the simulation. Kazuichi had even stepped back, and that was months before he and Mahiru were ever anything.

Still, his son needed advice, and so he would give it. “Try and relax around her more. You two are always fighting and arguing, so it would be better if you toned that down. I’m not sure what else to tell you. Your mother was always the bold one.” He smiled, his mind flicking through memories like they were home movies. “But continue to act like yourself. I didn’t set out to gain your mother’s approval, let alone her love. I earned it by being myself.”

Sorin stared past his shoulder at the kitchen sink, but his eyes weren’t focused on the décor. He was nodding slowly, so Gundam knew his words had reached him. “Thanks, dad. See you in the morning.”

With one last swig of his coffee he stood up, placing the mug on the bench before thundering up the stairs like his mother and sisters weren’t fast asleep in their rooms. He had never been very considerate.

Gundam watched him go, his smile widening slightly as Talon rubbed his body against his. “Well, Talon. Hopefully we’ll have a new princess of Novoselic soon.”

The cat purred in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I was going to write this sooner or later, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Daddy Gundam is one of my favourite things.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M BAAAAACK.
> 
> This little drabble takes place during the end of Chapter 13/beginning of Chapter 14 of Darkness, near the love tree in Novoselic. This is what happened with Natsuhi!

Natsuhi didn’t know how long she stood there in front of the tree, her eyes scanning all of the other notes attached to the branches like Christmas decorations. All she needed to do was take the tape out of her pocket and stick her piece of paper on the tree. If she could conceal it enough, nobody would ever find it. No one would know.

She must have waited too long, something she realized only when she heard the voice behind her.

“Huh? You’re participating in this love tradition thing, Natsuhi?”

She stiffened and slowly turned. Karin was looking at her with curious eyes. Seiya was no longer with her, so she must have finished delivering her to her brothers. Natsuhi hadn’t anticipated on her coming to the tree.

“And so what if I am?” she said, trying to act tough, but it wasn’t working. Her cheeks were beginning to warm up and she had to train her eyes just above Karin’s head to avoid turning away completely. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not!” Karin said, draping an arm across her shoulder. “I’m just surprised that you like someone. You never told me anything about it and we’re best friends! I know I’m not good in that department, but…”

Natsuhi wanted nothing more than to scream in her face that it was her she was crushing on so badly, but she stopped herself, swallowing hard. Her throat was dry. “It’s not that. I’m just secretive with these kinds of things.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

Karin’s eyes lit up. “Come on, come on, show me the paper!” She started bouncing up and down like a five year old, and Natsuhi couldn’t help but find it incredibly cute.

But even so, she couldn’t let Karin see her piece of paper. She held it close to her chest, tempted to shove it back in her bra. “No! It’s a secret.”

“Aw, Nat-su-hi!” Karin’s dress sparkled as she shook her body, pouting. “You’re telling me that no one else knows? At all?”

Natsuhi couldn’t look her in the eye. There were definitely people who knew. Quite a few in fact. Hana, Ryouma, and Claudia had all been there when Haneyama had outed her. Minato had simply guessed. He knew her better than anyone, so he was able to figure it out fairly easily.

Karin’s shoulders dropped from the lack of an answer. “So other people know? Did you tell them? Did they guess? What happened?”

She looked so sad, so betrayed, and Natsuhi didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to see her best friend (and the woman she loved) so upset, and the fact that it was her fault brought her to tears. Her vision began to blur and she had to look down. She didn’t want to wipe her eyes in case Karin saw. She didn’t want to show any weakness.

It didn’t work. “Are you crying?” There was alarm in Karin’s voice. “Shit, what did I say?”

“Nothing!”

Karin grabbed her wrists so hard that the paper fluttered out of her hands and fell to the ground. Both of them noticed, Natsuhi’s breath hitching as Karin bent down to pick it up. This was it. She was done for. She was going to lose her best friend and it would be entirely her fault.

She looked at her feet as Karin’s eyes scanned the paper, wanting desperately to run, but also to get this over with. There was no need to prolong it.

“Natsuhi… Are you serious?”

It wasn’t disbelief, not really. It wasn’t cruel, that was for sure. Karin’s voice was gentle. More astonished than anything. Even so, Natsuhi still couldn’t look her in the eyes, and it wasn’t just because of the tears this time.

“Of course I’m being serious. I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t serious.” She was suddenly very glad they were inside the tree, concealed by the branches so only their feet could be seen from the spectators outside. If anyone were watching she would be horrified.

As she thought this, two arms were flung over her shoulders and a body was pressed against hers. When she looked up, she saw Karin’s red-pink hair, but not the girl herself. Her face was buried in her shoulder, shielding her expression.

“This is so awesome!” Karin’s voice was high-pitched, almost a squeal. “I mean, the only reason I wasn’t doing this tree thing was because I forgot about it, but _you_! You remembered! I’m so glad you remembered! I’m so happy!”

It took Natsuhi a moment to process the other girl’s words. “Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a sec. Are you saying…?”

Karin lifted her head from its resting place, giving an eager nod before diving in for a kiss. Natsuhi staggered backwards, her back hitting the trunk of the tree, a few notes crumpling behind her. She didn’t care about those small slips of paper, closing her eyes and deciding to enjoy herself instead. She’d earned it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was it!
> 
> I'm sorry for not uploading as much this month (well, last month now), but I've been a bit busy. I started TAFE, so I've been studying quite a bit, plus I've been working on an original story of mine. This was kind of a break from that.
> 
> As for the Consciousness series, I do have an idea in mind for another story, but it wouldn't be centred around Jabberwock. It would instead focus on Sayumi (whose name kept switching between Sayami and Sayumi for some reason even though I was sure I'd fixed that) and Ikuna aand their gang. It's still in very early stages, though.


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